Cuba has fast 4G LTE available in most parts of the country, and in all locations frequented by tourists. Wifi parks were common in Cuba up until about 2019, when the 4G LTE mobile network reached a sort of critical mass.
Now, all hotels offer wifi and most AirBnB accommodations, known locally as ‘casa particulars’, have wifi available. Yet for those people staying longer than a few days, it makes more sense to acquire a local Cuban mobile phone number with a 4G LTE internet connection.
Foreigners can still use wifi cards to survive, but they’re a nuisance to acquire, are based on time as opposed to download quota and they don’t function like a mobile connection, when moving around. Wifi cards still need to be used where there is wifi available.
Your foreign mobile number will not be able to roam in Cuba. My Australian, Argentine, US and German phone numbers did not work in Cuba.
A local cuban SIM card and number will give tourists access to Cuba’s mobile 4G LTE network and if paid for in cuban pesos acquired locally at the informal exchange rate, it will be more convenient and significantly cheaper than wifi cards too.
you will need a vPN in cuba
In order to make full use of the internet in Cuba, tourists will need to have a VPN installed on their devices.
I’ve personally used NordVPN for 5 years both at home and while traveling through Australia, the Middle East including Iran, Eastern Europe, Latin America including Colombia, Cuba and most recently, Argentina.
NordVPN worked flawlessly in Cuba and allowed me to access my bank accounts, the Apple App Store and even watch US Netflix while in Cuba (Cuban television programs are awful).
Unlike other VPN’s I can confirm NordVPN works both on wifi and the cuban mobile phone network. Some of my Cuba based foreign friends found that their VPN’s worked perfectly on wifi but would fail on the mobile phone network. But with NordVPN I had a strong, fast and secure connection on both wifi and cellular services in Cuba.
It’s important to note, that even if a tourist is only staying in a hotel and accessing hotel wifi with cards paid for in USD ($) or Euro (€), they will still need a VPN to access most foreign mobile applications, due to US sanctions on Cuba.
As a ‘digital nomad’ working online, I need have access to fast internet and be able to access a large number of websites and mobile applications, including banking networks. I found that Cuba’s mobile 4G network with my phone paired to my laptop and running through NordVPN, was more than fast enough to accommodate my online work.
Where Can I Get More Information About Cuba?
I’ve made my Complete Guide To Traveling Cuba available on this website. And I recommend you read it, before traveling to Cuba. It will help you navigate Cuba and Cuban society.
My Cuba travel guide will save you a lot of time and money on your next trip to Cuba. Cuba is not the sort of destination in which you can arrive unprepared. Read the most complete Guide To Traveling Cuba.
